Nowadays, it can be easy to get lost in meeting the insurmountable standards created by the contemporary business landscape. It almost seems like becoming a perfect being is the single-defining trait and requirement to rise as an influential pioneer and thought leader in your company and industry. However, this idea of perfection and the role of a business leader is a misconception because even the greatest of company heads and prominent names are imperfect by nature.
You see, while skills, competencies, and proficiencies are considered a powerful amplifier to your capacity to lead, they aren’t the sole defining traits. Instead, real leadership is founded on strong values, your ability to be honest and direct. These two characteristics are what separate good leaders from successful ones because these aspects of the human mind and psychology aren’t mechanically trained like others; they’re intrinsic motivations that come from a strong mindset. So, if you’re in a leadership position, it’s time you start rethinking where your values stand.
Be Full Front And Center
Now, some would argue that they’ve met successful leaders who are the farthest from being honest and direct and think that would make the value of honesty and directness crumble. However, notorious leaders that feed off negative values and underhanded techniques severely limit their growth. And, while they will see some short-term success with their devious plans, it’s those leaders that are front and center who are given the limitless potential to reach any goal.
- Improves Effective Leadership: Firstly, an honest leader that stands firm with their identity is a more effective leader. They don’t worry about how to act or what the employees might think about them; they’re concerned with what’s genuine, both in the numbers and their personality. As a result, they can work and lead better because they aren’t held back by unnecessary norms that debilitate diversity and uniqueness.
- Greater Self-Awareness: Secondly, a leader that is front and center with his identity achieves greater self-awareness, a trait useful in any leadership position. Self-awareness means that a leader knows and consciously acknowledges their strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and the technical knowledge they lack. They won’t waste their time putting on a facade, self-awareness manifests as truthful actions, and they will allocate the necessary resources and skills to address potential drawbacks. The same also applies to their strengths, and they will appropriately capitalize when an opportunity presents itself.
How Does It Improve Business Culture?
Apart from individual benefits, the most significant impact honest and direct leadership creates is through business culture. Remember, leadership is the skill to influence other people’s emotions, thoughts and develop them into actions, and your honesty and directness will be well-received by your employees and peers. So, let’s dig deep and discover how it improves the overall business culture.
#1 Strengthens Professional Relationships
Number one, it strengths professional relationships within an organization. Of course, while some level of indifference is necessary for a business setting, stronger bonds and professional relationships are some of the most impactful ways of increasing work productivity and improving overall business culture. When you’re honest and direct with your employees and team members, they will reciprocate the same values.
- Builds Trust Among Employees: An honest and direct leader builds trust among his or her employees because they don’t have to stress about reading in between the lines. Your actions and words reflect your intent and motivations, which is something all employees value knowing and understanding for the benefit of the company and their future in that career. A contrast to this would be the blunders of the social media giants wherein the self-regulation of the industry has failed.
- Encourages Collaboration: When you’re honest and direct with your employees, they’ll feel more inclined to show the same values to their fellow co-workers. An honest and direct leader is contagious, and they help create a productive working environment for the entire organization. Everyone feels more encouraged to collaborate with each other, therefore making the work processes seamless.
#2 Promotes Creativity And Innovation
Number two, honest and direct leadership, directly promotes creativity and innovation within a workplace. Unlike a leader that prefers keeping to himself, indifferent, and leads through intimidation, an honest and direct leader guarantees a safe and approachable aura. As a result, employees don’t feel scared but excited to share their thoughts during meetings and reports.
- Voicing Out Ideas: A common problem faced in the corporate world is when no one speaks up during brainstorming sessions or crucial meetings because they don’t want to risk embarrassing themselves. As a result, only one or two people ever speak up and severely limit the idea generation and effectiveness of brainstorming. However, honest and direct leadership encourages people to voice out their ideas and be open with their thoughts as they know they will receive objective criticism. For example, an employee would feel inclined to share his thoughts on adding air purification systems or innovative sanitary stations to improve the safety of the workplace.
Hone Your Leadership Skills
The reasons mentioned above are but the tip of the iceberg, and the further you go in your leadership journey, the more benefits there are to reap if you complement your values with in-demand technical skills and knowledge. Therefore, we strongly recommend honing your leadership skills as early as now and turn into a competitive edge against other industry players.
